How to make a (good) cup of tea...

[Laddy Muck]

Don't drink it myself, but - apart from our windowcleaner - nobody likes my tea. Not even hubby. And a washing machine engineer once spat out his first (and last) mouthful into our sink with a subsequent "fucking hell!". :-S

So, what's the secret?

[DulwichFox]

Hi Laddy Muck

The Secret to a good cup of Tea...

1. Use Good Loose Tea or Good Tea Bags.

2. Make Tea in a pot. (Warm Pot First)

3. Use Filtered Water.

4. Boil Water for a full minute. Kettles that cut-out not good.

5. Pour Boiling water over tea. (in pot)

6. Give Tea 2-3 Mins. to brew.

7. Serve Tea in China Cup. Not a Mug. (Mugs are for builders tea.)

8. Add Sugar to taste. Optional.

9. Add milk last. Stir.

10. Enjoy your Tea.

Fox.

[Laddy Muck]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> 3. Use Filtered Water.

> 7. Serve Tea in China Cup. Not a Mug. (Mugs are

> for builders tea.)

Thank you for those very comprehensive instructions, DulwichFox. 3 questions though:

1. presumably bottled water will do?

2. OK - no mugs - understood. But, could I get away with a "pottery type cup". I have "Denby";

3. what in the name of Tetley is "builders' tea"?

Thank you.

[DulwichFox]

Bottled water will usually contain added minerals

Pottery cup Ok. Depends on type of tea.

Builders tea. Brewed in large Metal Teapot (Cafe) or Tea Urn.

Left on heat for hours to 'stew'

Stand your spoon up in it.

Takes the roof off your mouth.

:))

Fox

[Laddy Muck]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Takes the roof off your mouth.

Ha Ha Ha Fox...might explain the: "corrrrr...look at them t*ts..." or "giss a flash darlin..."...:))

[Twirly]

Good instructions Dulwich Fox.

Warming the pot is absolutely crucial. I use loose leaf tea mostly (favourite my Dad buys me from a place in Cirencester, but I also like Twinings), and usually allow it to brew for 5 minutes, any less and it'll be too week.

I also use a Chatsford Teapot as you can put your tea in the inner drainer thingy, then whip it out when the tea is brewed to prevent it getting "stewed", although if you use decent quality tea then it's less likely to stew anyway.

And if you want to be really scientific about it, you can always make your tea according to the British Standard... http://sub.spc.org/san/docs/BS6008.pdf

[Laddy Muck]

Thanks Twirly. I had one of those posh teapots, until I broke it. I still have the plastic inner drainy thingy which I use as a strainer when making elderflower champagne.

Looks as though making tea properly would require me to retire! I mean, take the content of that BS document - as if!

[maxxi]

Try 'Imporient' East African tea (Rwanda) from Franklins. They had a stall at the Lambeth Country Show a couple of years ago which is how I came to try it - not cheap at ?3.50 for 80 bags or ?12/kg loose but you won't be disappointed.

[HAL9000]

To boldly go where no Teasmade has gone before: just say, "

"

[Jah Lush]

Don't overdue it on the cow juice.

[Laddy Muck]

Imporient - eh? Does that have a fragrance to it? Hubby likes Earl Grey - though most visitors appear not to.

Funny, two of the most common complaints I've received are that it's not hot enough and/or that it contains too much milk. Hmmmmm...

(Cow juice - LOL)

Thanks folks.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

http://media04-ak.vivastreet.com/classifieds/f5/7/39908503/large/1.jpg?dt=8bb7bf249709e2a7f7f4ff56a50b2d58

[Alan Medic]

Unless you want to make this into an art form, just squeeze the tea bag against the inside of the mug with a teaspoon. Helps make the tea bit stronger.

[katie1997]

Fly to India for a pot of their finest Assam CTC which is a strong black tea. Assam Gold if you like it less strong. Forget the delicate greens, whites and oolongs.

PS Brilliant instructions from dulwich fox although I'm afraid to say I have to add a tiny splash of milk first, not after (and no sugar thanks LM).

[david_carnell]

Now, to make my tea, I need two good-sized mugs. I boil the kettle. The hot water goes into one mug first, stays for a few seconds so the mug is heated, then goes into the second mug. The tea bag goes into the first, hot, mug, boiling water is poured in, to within a couple of millimetres of the top, and the two mugs, one containing brewing tea, and the other containing hot water, are left to stand. After about five minutes, the mug of brewed tea is placed in the sink, where some new hot water (freshly re-boiled) from the kettle, is sloshed into it, so it overflows by about half a mug. This is to stop the well-brewed tea being too strong. The full-to-overflowing mug is now tilted a little bit, so it spills out enough tea to allow room for some milk.

Remember the second mug, full of the hot (now not so hot, but still quite hot) water that was used to warm the first mug? That is now emptied. The tea bag is fished out from the first 'brewing' mug, and placed in the bottom of the empty 'warm' mug, where a small splash of milk is poured over it. The effect of the hot tea bag, and still-warm mug, is to take the chill off the milk - and impregnate it with a mild tea flavour. To encourage both these objectives, the mug is picked up and swirled, put down for a few seconds, picked up and swirled again, and left to stand for a short while longer. The tea-coloured, warm milk is now poured from tea-bag mug to brew mug, which is given a stir.

The resulting colour is observed. A little more milk may be necessary, in which case it will go via the still-warm tea bag mug, into the brew mug. When the colour is exactly right, I will stir in exactly one rounded teaspoonful of golden caster sugar. The tea, which at this point is still far too hot to drink, will now be left to stand for at least five minutes, before a sip is attempted.

Incidentally, my tea of choice is Clipper's Organic, and has been for some years now. Ridgeways Fair Trade is an acceptable alternative, and in other people's houses 'breakfast' teas, 'afternoon' teas and big brand builders' teas are always preferable to varietals. I no longer drink Earl Grey, ever. I sometimes drink Lapsang Souchong, but only after four o'clock.

[Jah Lush]

Bloody hell David talk about complicating matters.

[david_carnell]

I have a confession, Jah.

Those instructions are from Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall. My own are somewhat more simplistic. These ones just make me laugh, though having once tried the method they do make a cracking cuppa.

[Laddy Muck]

PGC, that is quite brilliant!. Haven't seen a tea cosy in years - let alone one of this calibre. I wonder if it possesses special midfield, scoring and goalkeeping powers? If so, I'd order 11 and made sure the boys wore them.(tu)

Mr. Medic, I do the squeezing against mug with spoon thing as it is. I notice hubby sometimes uses his finger with spoon (could that be why his tastes better)?:-S

Lady Kat, I am rather surprised at your suggestion - think of all those carbon emissions. Tutt Tutt.

D_C, your post made me laugh. JL is right: talk about complicating matters. Almost (though not quite) as complex as the BS standard above. However, you are forgiven as I am a massive fan of the fabulous Hugh.

[ruffers]

Strong and milky is the way to go. One of these might help -http://www.thetoyshop.com/media/gadgetshop/products/ProductImageMain/328831.jpg

[El Pibe]

BY the gods, how to make life difficult.

1. pour boiling water in mug, filtered, mineral, tap, rain, who cares it's effing water.

2. add tea bag.

3. stir and soak according to taste in strength (I like weak, tradesmen in my experience like tea so strong it's almost chewy)

4. add milk and/or sugar according to taste

err that's it.

I don't think pots actually make that much difference, though they are convenient/cost effective if making more than one.

Quality of tea is most important factor, builders is acceptable and refreshing but not a good taste.

Loose leaf avoids weird chemicals in tea bags and can be done in holy spoon thing for a cuppa, but nowt wrong with a teabag if you ask me.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Do you mean a holy spoon like this?

http://spoonplanet.com/aposcockangel.jpg

[El Pibe]

That's exactly what I meant!

Apparently the holy spirit on a blessed spoon forms an invisible yet microporous meniscus that allows the water to mix with the leaves, whilst preventing tea leaf escapage into the cup.

Holy water to be used for best results.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

You win. I had to look up meniscus!

[Annette Curtain]

maxxi Wrote:

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> Try 'Imporient' East African tea (Rwanda) from

> Franklins. They had a stall at the Lambeth Country

> Show a couple of years ago which is how I came to

> try it - not cheap at ?3.50 for 80 bags or ?12/kg

> loose but you won't be disappointed.

Yes indeed

Imporient Tea is utterly delicious

I met the guy from there today in fact.

( he used to work for wittards btw )

Oh and it's Goats milk for me.

* gets out pantone colour chart *

NETTE:)

[Laddy Muck]

Flippin Nora...what a bloomin palaver! My tea never stood a chance! Coffee or hot chocolate anyone?